| Friday, November 17, 2017 |
| Technology In Action at Mississippi State | |
 | Some Mississippi State students have an opportunity to meet with what could be a future co-worker. Representatives from C-Spire were on campus Thursday, along with a new member of the team, Pepper the Robot. The team was showcasing the impact digital technology is having in the workplace, and the advances that may be on the horizon. Pepper is more than just a novelty. It represents some of the latest technology in action. "It helps from a interactive standpoint. It can show products to the customer. Has a tablet built in, so if you ask Pepper a question, maybe a particular phone in our example, Pepper could pull up product demos, videos, specs. Things like that to help guide the rep, or just help the customers self serve," says V.P. of I.T. Development at C-Spire, Brad Carpenter. |
| Habitat for Humanity ReStore helps fund projects | |
 | The Starkville Habitat for Humanity ReStore, located at 1632 Rock Hill Rd., helps raise money for the organization through donations and volunteers. The Starkville Habitat for Humanity ReStore is open every first and third Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. Executive Director for Starkville Habitat for Humanity Joel Downey said the store sells building supplies, furniture and appliances, and all the merchandise for sale is donated to the store. Downey said Starkville Habitat for Humanity also owns the building and all of the staff are volunteers. ReStore Manager Danny Setaro said almost all of the passionate volunteers who staff the store are retirees and alumni from Mississippi State University. |
| Two plead not guilty in MSU student slaying | |
 | Two Columbus men indicted for the 2016 murder of a Mississippi State University student pleaded not guilty in separate appearances in Lowndes County Circuit Court Wednesday. A grand jury indicted Syboris Pippins, 19, and Jaylen Barker, 21, of capital murder in the commission of robbery last week. Pippins and Barker are accused of shooting and killing Joseph Tillman, 21, in Starkville's Cotton District on Nov. 6, 2016. The suspects' trials are tentatively scheduled for Jan. 29, 2018. Capital murder penalties include death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Three other suspects -- 17-year-old Tyler Harris, 23-year-old Jamario Pippins and 20-year-old Brandon Sherrod -- have all been arrested for accessory after the fact after police said they fled the scene. |
| Commission denies rezoning request in Green Oaks | |
| Starkville's planning and zoning commission denied a request to rezone two lots on the southeast side of Green Oaks to general business after a lengthy Tuesday evening public hearing. The commission received a request from Mitchner Rentals, LLC, and Danielle V. Kelly to rezone the lots, located at 2003 and 2005 Hickory St., from R-1 single-family residential to C-2 general business. The lots contain two houses among a strip of eight in Green Oaks that sit along Highway 12. The lots are directly adjacent to a Chevron convenience station on Highway 12 by the Avenue of Patriots. The strip is the only portion of the highway between Mississippi State University and the west end of town that is not zoned for commercial use. |
| Mississippi company signs deal to provide power poles to Puerto Rico | |
 | The Thomasson Co. of Philadelphia has signed a contract to provide 1,000 utility poles to the Puerto Rican national utility. The U.S. territory in the Caribbean was ravaged by Hurricane Maria in September and its power company is running at about half capacity. Brent Gray, president of Thomasson, said the $1 million contact is for 55-foot wooden poles. Thomasson will send some of the order and "we'll just have to see how it goes," Gray said, declining to disclose how much of the order will be sent. He called it a "decent-sized" order. In another matter, Gray said that efforts by the company to do business with Cuba have "cooled" in the wake of Trump's recent issuance of restrictions on trade with the communist island nation. The Thomasson Co. visited Cuba in a February trip sponsored by the Mississippi Development Authority and was preparing to offer a bid on selling power poles to the state-owned utility, Gray said in an interview in June. |
| Casino: Choctaws reject opening fourth gaming site | |
 | The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians appears to have voted down a possible new casino in the Red Water community in Leake County. According to preliminary numbers on Thursday night, the vote against the casino was 1,449 to 654. Only the Red Water community voted in favor of the casino, 133-60. Tribal leaders plan to count absentee ballots, reportedly about 112 votes, on Friday. According to the Tribal Election Commission, 2,197 votes must be cast for the election to be valid. The tribe already has two casinos, Silver Star and Golden Moon, in Choctaw in Neshoba County and a third in Bok Homa in Jones County, 13 miles north of Laurel. The nearly 11,000-member tribe reopened the Golden Moon full time in 2015, following a $70 million-plus renovation. Red Water borders Carthage on the north. |
| Lotto could be more revenue for state, less for municipalities | |
 | A lottery eventually would produce between $82 million and $94 million annually in revenue for Mississippi, state Economist Darrin Webb has projected. Webb and others gave their thoughts and projections on what a lottery would mean to Mississippi on Thursday during what is scheduled to be the final meeting of a study committee formed by House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton. Webb told the nine-member panel that a lottery would divert money away from retail sales, thus negatively impacting sales tax revenue in the state, but still would produce a net gain in revenue. Webb, speaking at the meeting at the state Capitol, also warned that a lottery would "slightly decrease" the state's gross domestic product, employment and income. |
| Lottery panel hears mostly cons in final meeting | |
| A special House panel studying the pros and cons of a state lottery heard mostly cons and caveats during in its final hearing on Thursday. The main pro of a state lottery, the panel has heard over the past few months, is that it would net the state an estimated $80 million to upwards of $100 million. But State Economist Darrin Webb told the panel that while a lottery would help fill state coffers, "It would create a slight decrease in total economic activity within the state." He said lottery sales would largely come from a reduction in existing economic activity and there would be "leakages" due to the state's contribution to multi-state lottery payouts and costs of operations. The House Lottery Working Group asked people from about a dozen groups or agencies to speak at its final meeting. Web, along with representatives of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, the Department of Revenue, the state casino and convenience store associations and the state council on problem gambling spoke Thursday. |
| Mississippi casinos oppose video gambling in gas stations | |
 | Mississippi casino operators would not be against the creation of a state lottery that sells paper tickets for scratch-off games or multistate Powerball games, but they would vehemently oppose video gambling in places like bars and convenience stores, said the head of a group that represents 28 casinos. Larry Gregory, director of the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association, spoke to members of a lottery study commission Thursday at the state Capitol. The association represents all of the state-regulated casinos, which are on the Gulf Coast and along the Mississippi River. Gregory said casinos' annual gross revenue in Illinois has decreased nearly 14 percent since 2012, when that state legalized electronic games that he called video lottery terminals, or VLTs. He said more than 27,000 terminals are in nearly 6,200 locations in Illinois. |
| Health organizations urge Mississippi lawmakers to increase tobacco tax | |
 | Mississippi lawmakers will soon be facing budget choices. Some health organizations say they have a way to improve the health of the state and generate new revenue. The big ask for lawmakers from these health organizations is to raise the cigarette tax by $1.50 a pack. Nearly 23 percent of Mississippi adults light up on a regular basis. And every time they pay up for a new pack, they're paying a 68 cent tax. That's low on the totem pole compared to other states. Mississippi's tax ranks 39th in the country with the national average cigarette tax sitting at $1.71. "Adolescents and young adults are two to three times more sensitive to changes in price of tobacco than are adults," explained Mississippi State Medical Association President Dr. Bill Grantham. "In fact, every ten percent increase in the price reduces youth smoking by about 7 percent and the total consumption by about 4 percent." The hope is that increasing the tax will yet again decrease the sales and use of cigarettes just as it did when lawmakers last upped the tax in 2009. |
| Health organizations push for increase in state tobacco tax | |
 | Health advocates believe raising the tobacco tax is one of the best ways to get smokers to quit. This isn't the first time a tax increase has come up -- it was increased in the 1980s -- and again in 2009. Mississippi State University researchers polled 446 adults in the state and found that nearly 72 percent of them support the tax increase. There's a 4 percent margin of error. "So, I'm pretty confident that the majority supports a tobacco tax increase," said Mississippi State researcher Robert McMillan. But as of yet, no lawmaker has stepped up to sponsor a tobacco tax bill, and it could be rolled into another piece of legislation. |
| State auditor speaks on reverse auction law | |
 | A new law regarding purchases by all Mississippi government entities will go into effect on January 1st. State Auditor Stacey Pickering made a stop by the Lamar County Supervisors meeting Thursday to shed light on a that new law. "We are meeting with our local governments, boards of supervisors, school boards, as well as city councils and alderman across the State of Mississippi about the reverse auctions law," Pickering said. "It mandates that every government entity, state agencies, the state itself, as well as local governments must use a reverse auction process to purchase any commodities across the state." The contracts or items that will be up for bid will go online and vendors will have their chance to put in a reverse bid, which will be at the cost of taxpayers. Lamar County Administrator Jody Waits said the county will work on their end to adapt to the change. |
| Hosemann visits area schools, encourages voting | |
| Several groups of Northeast Mississippi students got a civics lesson from Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann on Thursday. Hosemann visited students at Tupelo High School Thursday morning and visited the Booneville, Baldwyn and Corinth school districts in the afternoon. At THS, Hosemann spoke to a few history classes. Rep. Shane Aguirre and Sen. Chad McMahan were also present. THS principal Art Dobbs said he was glad to have the three elected officials on campus and interacting with students. "Our students are really asking questions... it's a really teachable moment," Dobbs said. |
| Mental Health Department cuts more jobs to comply with federal rule | |
 | The Department of Mental Health received approval Thursday to continue the process of cutting jobs to comply with a recent federal ruling. The Mississippi State Personnel Board approved the reduction of 21 positions from the Ellisville State School effective Nov. 30. Nineteen positions were full-time, and two were time limited, meaning those positions are paid through federal grants and employed for a predetermined amount of time. Of the 21 positions, 13 were currently filled while eight were vacant. Earlier this year, the department cut 53 positions from the hospital which provides long term residential care to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The cuts are required by a federal Medicaid rule. |
| GOP congressmen praise House tax bill | |
| All Republican members of Mississippi's congressional delegation voted Thursday in favor of a tax reform bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a near party line vote. Some kind of revision to the U.S. tax code has been a major priority for GOP leaders since the party took total control of the executive and legislative branches in elections last year. After repeated efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act collapsed in the Senate earlier this year, congressional leaders and the White House have been especially keen to notch a major legislative achievement. Locally, 1st Congressional Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Saltillo, has touted fewer and lower brackets and a simplified tax code as major priorities. On Thursday, he was optimistic about the prospects for success. |
| Franken draws swift condemnation in Congress after woman claims he groped her | |
 | Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) faced swift condemnation and bipartisan calls for an ethics investigation Thursday after he was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a broadcaster and model while traveling overseas in 2006. The allegations against Franken by Leeann Tweeden, who traveled with him on a USO trip to the Middle East before he was elected to the Senate, comes amid a growing swell of accusations of sexual misconduct by men in powerful positions. Beloved by liberals for his fierce attacks on President Trump, Franken found few defenders as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) called for the ethics committee to investigate his actions. |
| FCC votes to limit program funding internet access for low income communities | |
 | The Federal Communications Commission took steps Thursday to roll back Lifeline -- a program that subsidizes broadband and phone service for low income households. The FCC voted in a 3-2 split along party lines favoring Republicans to reform the program during the agency's monthly open meeting. Republicans, including Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), praised the agency's decision to begin pushing the program towards jurisdiction of the states. "States play an important role in preventing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs, in addition to ensuring that people have access to essential communications services," Wicker said in a statement on Thursday. |
| Alabama G.O.P. Says It Stands Behind Roy Moore | |
 | The Alabama Republican Party on Thursday offered unqualified support to the embattled candidacy of Roy S. Moore, ignoring the condemnation of national Republican leaders and brushing aside worries that he could lose a Senate race in a solidly conservative state --- or be expelled from Congress if he wins. Invoking the need for guidance from God, a statement from the party's chairwoman, Terry Lathan, referred only indirectly to the allegations of sexual misconduct and unwanted overtures against women that have upended the Senate race here. Ms. Lathan said the party trusted voters to make the right decision and backed Mr. Moore, a former chief justice of the State Supreme Court, as a conservative supporter of President Trump running against the Democrat, Doug Jones. |
| Complete 2 Compete receives $3.5 million grant | |
| Students who want to finish what they started through the Complete 2 Compete initiative will have some of their financial barriers lifted, thanks to a $3.5 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Funding provided by the foundation over the next two years will be used for C2C Tuition Assistance Grants that students may use to offset the costs of returning to pursue a degree. Glenn Boyce, Commissioner of Higher Education, said he is grateful for the Kellogg Foundation's support of the initiative. "These grants will remove the financial roadblock and clear the pathway for former students to pursue their dreams of earning a degree, which will in turn open many more doors for them," Boyce said. Casey Turnage, director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for IHL, said many adults who started a degree but didn't finish would like to return to college but don't know where to start. |
| $500 apiece offered to help Mississippians finish college degrees | |
| A foundation is offering $500 apiece to Mississippians to help finish college degrees. Higher Education Commissioner Glenn Boyce on Thursday announced the $3.5 million, two-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The money would be paid directly to a college or university to cover old debts, tuition for new classes or textbook costs, clearing barriers to an associate or bachelor's degree. Up to 7,000 grants will be awarded, first-come-first-served, to adults 21 or older who haven't attended a college within two years. |
| Kellogg grant could help thousands earn college degrees | |
 | The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is providing up to 7,000 adult learners a one time grant of $500 each through the Complete 2 Compete Initiative. The grants could help eligible students pay off previous college debt, pay tuition for current classes and buy textbooks. Higher Education Commissioner Glenn Boyce says the funds will help more Mississippians earn their college degrees. "In order to improve our economy in order to grow the economy the demand for a higher educated labor force is prominent in today's competitive nature of how do we increase economic gain. Without it we will absolutely not be able to grow as a state," said Boyce. The Complete 2 Compete Initiative launched this August by the Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board. It is designed to help adults who attended college previously but never earned a degree. The $3.5-million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will provide scholarships over a two-year period. |
| U. of Mississippi Medical Center building named for Gov. Phil Bryant | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center is naming a building for Gov. Phil Bryant. College Board trustees approved the plan Thursday morning. Bearing Bryant's name will be the university's recently opened medical school building in Jackson. The five-story, $74 million structure was officially opened in August, giving the university room to expand the number of physicians it trains. In papers presented to trustees, the university credits Bryant for directing $10 million in federal community development money to the building, as well as helping persuade lawmakers to borrow $64 million for the structure. |
| DuBard School at USM celebrates 55th anniversary | |
| The DuBard School for Language Disorders at the University of Southern Mississippi held an open house this afternoon in honor of the school's 55th anniversary. During the event, the school honored Dr. Maureen Martin, who retired as director in June 2017 after 41 years of service. "It's really exciting because over the last 55 years we have been privileged to service children with speech and language and hearing disabilities and help them become successful," said DuBard School interim director Missy Schraeder. |
| Audit: U. of Florida workers got free shipping, courtesy of college | |
 | A University of Florida administrative assistant was found to have used a UF account to bill the shipping costs on personal items, the latest case of an employee suspected of embezzling money from the university. Jennifer Beback, who worked at the Warrington College of Business, failed to reimburse $455 she charged to the college's FedEx account, according to an internal audit completed on Oct. 23 and obtained by The Sun through a public records request. The audit report added that it was not uncommon for employees to bill the cost of shipping of personal packages to the college account and then reimburse. The college has since stopped allowing the practice. UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said Beback was no longer employed as of Oct. 5, though she couldn't say if Beback was fired. The value of Beback's alleged theft was small change compared to other recent UF cases. |
| U. of Tennessee student launches new ride share run by students | |
 | It's easy to spot Ryan Cunningham's Jeep Cherokee as it pulls through Circle Park Drive on the University of Tennessee campus. The Jeep, aside from being immaculately clean for a college student's vehicle, is identifiable by the green and white "Campus Car" logo on the outside. Cunningham, who wears a white polo shirt embroidered with a matching logo, stops precisely where he's scheduled to pick up some riders, in this case a reporter and photographer who are looking for a quick tour of campus. Welcome to Campus Car, a new ride-share platform that Cunningham started this fall to help meet demand for short-distance travel around the University of Tennessee and downtown Knoxville. The service, which is similar to other ride share platforms like Uber or Lyft, prides itself on being student-owned and operated. |
| UGA student arrested after car chase | |
 | A University of Georgia student was arrested early Thursday after he crashed his truck while fleeing from police in connection with the theft of signs from UGA property, Athens-Clarke County police said. An Athens officer was parked at Jittery Joe's in Five Points at about 3:25 a.m. when he reported he saw a pickup driven by 19-year-old Hunter Ty Wilkerson speeding on South Milledge Avenue at about 85 to 90 mph. The truck kept going when the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, police said. UGA police who arrived at the scene told county officers they had issued a look-out for Wilkerson's truck in connection with UGA sign thefts, police said. The student was charged with reckless driving, speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road, failure to obey traffic control devices, theft by taking, attempting to elude and flee from police and more. |
| Gun rights, control covered at Texas A&M panel discussion | |
 | When evaluating mass shootings and discussing gun rights, there are several complex factors to consider, according to two panelists at a public forum on Texas A&M's campus Thursday night. The MSC Wiley Lecture Series, a student-run organization, host various symposiums on campus throughout the year, giving Aggies the chance to interact directly with experts. After the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting that killed more than 50 people, leaders with MSC Wiley decided to host an event this year that would be related to the topics of gun control and gun violence. Since that shooting, 26 people were killed Nov. 5 at a church in Sutherland Springs. Several dozen students showed up to the John J. Koldus Building on central campus Thursday evening to listen as panelists Gyl Switzer of Texas Gun Sense and Alice Tripp of the Texas State Rifle Association spoke. |
| U. of Missouri approves using pigs for ER training over protests of D.C.-based group | |
 | An effort to persuade the University of Missouri to stop using live pigs to train emergency room doctors has failed. On Thursday, the Washington, D.C.,-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine brought national advocates and local activists together outside University Hospital to bring public pressure to bear to end the use of swine in physician training. The demonstration was organized after MU declined to agree to the group's call to abandon the use of pigs. The university's Animal Care and Use Committee, in a vote earlier this month, approved continuing the protocol governing their use through November 2020. MU is the only one of five emergency residency programs in the state that still uses pigs, said Kerry Foley, a retired emergency physician who worked for Georgetown University and other hospitals for 26 years. Only 16 of 211 emergency residency programs in the U.S. and Canada use pigs to train doctors, according to a survey conducted by the organization. |
| House passes tax plan with many provisions opposed by colleges | |
 | House Republicans on Thursday pushed through tax reform legislation widely opposed by higher education leaders who say many of its provisions will make a college degree less attainable and hurt the financial strength of institutions. The bill passed by a 227 to 205 vote with 13 Republicans voting against the plan; it did not receive support from any Democrats. The House plan, which was introduced just two weeks ago and did not receive a single hearing, dramatically lowers corporate tax rates and shrinks the number of income tax brackets. It has come in for criticism from higher ed both for the offsetting revenue it seeks from institutions and the elimination of benefits for students. Representative Kevin Brady, the Republican chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and the chief architect of the plan, said in a closing statement before the vote Thursday that the legislation would improve the lives of Americans across the country. But critics of the bill said hardworking students would suffer as a result of many of its provisions. |
| Another Bad Year for History Jobs | |
| The academic job market keeps getting tighter for historians. During the period from June 2016 to June 2017, the American Historical Association posted 501 listings for full-time positions, a 12 percent decline from the year before. This was the fifth straight year that the number of postings was down. Adding to the concern is that the number of new Ph.D.s in history is routinely more than twice the number of positions being posted by the AHA. It is important to note that not all faculty jobs in history are listed with the AHA. That said, most experts on the academic job market say association studies like this one reflect broad trends in various disciplines. History is among the many fields where specialization is crucial in the job search. |
| Ohio State Suspends 37 Fraternities From Social Activities And Recruitment | |
| The Ohio State University has indefinitely suspended 37 fraternities on campus, effective immediately. The suspension includes all social, recruitment and new member activities. In a statement, Office of Student Life spokesperson Dave Isaacs said that this semester, the university is investigating the most cases in recent years of Student Conduct violations from chapters of the Interfraternity Council. "[Eleven] of the 37 IFC chapters have been under investigation since the school year began," Isaacs wrote. "The majority of these cases involve hazing and/or alcohol. The university will not tolerate behavior that puts the health and safety of its students at risk." The suspension does not apply to the 17 campus sororities that make up Ohio State's Panhellenic Association, Isaacs said, none of which have been under investigation this semester. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State to honor Dowsing, Bell prior to Egg Bowl | |
 | Mississippi State will honor its first African-American student-athletes, Frank Dowsing Jr. and Robert Bell, with the dedication of the Dowsing-Bell Plaza on the north end of Davis Wade Stadium prior to the 90th Battle for the Golden Egg on Thanksgiving night. "Frank Dowsing and Robert Bell are heroes and their legacies will forever be remembered at Mississippi State," Director of Athletics John Cohen said. "The Dowsing-Bell Plaza will serve as a tribute to their courage as they paved the way for others in all sports on our campus." Dowsing, who was voted Mr. Mississippi State in October 1972, finished his career at the time as the school's all-time leader in interceptions with 10. He died at the age of 42 on July 11, 1994. Bell, an inspirational leader on the defensive line, was a regular starter and a fan favorite. An honor student at Meridian High School, he went on to earn three letters for the Bulldogs. |
| Mississippi State's Dan Mullen selected Munger College Coach of the Year semifinalist | |
| Mississippi State's Dan Mullen is one of 16 head coaches selected as a semifinalist for the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. Mullen has guided the Bulldogs to a 7-3 record this season with all three losses coming to teams currently ranked in the top seven nationally. All seven of MSU's wins have come by double digits including their largest victory, a 37-7 win over current No. 20 LSU. Mullen has taken the Bulldogs to eight straight bowl games and is 68-45 in his nine seasons in Starkville. The 45-year old Manchester, New Hampshire native is seven victories shy of tying Jackie Sherrill's school record for wins. |
| Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen to speak at Mississippi Bowl | |
 | Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen will be the guest speaker at the Mississippi Bowl Banquet on Dec. 1 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Hospitality Resort Management Center located on the Biloxi-Gulfport city limits. Mullen also spoke at the event in 2013. In 2008, Mullen became MSU's 32nd coach. The Bulldogs will be playing in their eighth consecutive bowl game. He is the second-winningest coach in school history and is the SEC's second-longest tenured coach. Three years ago, Mullen won the Maxwell Football Club National Coach of the Year and Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year awards in 2014. That season saw Mississippi State make the fastest ascent from unranked to No. 1 in history. |
| Arkansas' Bret Bielema battling adversity head on | |
| Arkansas is in the precarious position of needing to win out in order to reach 6-6 and become bowl eligible. The Razorbacks (4-6, 1-5 SEC) have had a tough sledding this season with their lone SEC win being a one-point victory over Ole Miss late last month. But coach Bret Bielema said he believes his team can get the job done and is battling the adversity head on. "The only way for us to get to six (wins) is to get to five first with Mississippi State this week," Bielema said. |
| Ready to eat again: Bulldogs' QBs have feasted on Hogs | |
| Recent history says the Arkansas Razorbacks will struggle to slow down No. 16 Mississippi State's quarterback Nick Fitzgerald on Saturday. Quarterbacks in the Dan Mullen offense at Mississippi State have racked up huge numbers on the Razorbacks the past three seasons. In Arkansas' 58-42 loss last year, Fitzgerald rushed for 131 yards and 4 touchdowns, and passed for 328 yards and 2 more touchdowns, accounting for 459 yards and six scores. Fitzgerald and Dak Prescott combined for 1,167 passing yards and 8 touchdowns as well as 238 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns in the past three games against Arkansas. That's 1,405 yards and 14 touchdowns and an average of 468 yards and 4.7 touchdowns per game against the Hogs. Fitzgerald enters Reynolds Razorback Stadium for Saturday's 11 a.m. game with a hefty load of credentials. The 6-5, 230-pound junior has rushed for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns and passed for 1,617 yards and another 13 scores. |
| Arkansas tries to regroup against No. 17 Mississippi State | |
| Many around the Arkansas football program expected changes in leadership amid the Razorbacks' dreadful season. Little did they know those changes would reach all the way to the top, with athletic director Jeff Long fired Wednesday . The school's football woes were near the top of the reasons why. The Razorbacks (4-6, 1-5 Southeastern Conference) will try to refocus and regroup from Long's shocking dismissal when they host No. 17 Mississippi State (7-3, 3-3) on Saturday. Arkansas needs to win its final two games to ensure a fourth straight bowl game. It may be a must-win for fifth-year coach Bret Bielema to ensure his future at the school, if Long's firing is any indication of frustration from the school's leadership with more than half a decade of struggles on the field. |
| No. 7 Mississippi State Women Beat Georgia State 106-50 | |
| Mississippi State put four guards on the floor to start against Georgia State. The Panthers never found a defense to defend it. The No. 7 Bulldogs had success both inside and outside, making a school-record 65.6 percent of their shots on the way to a 106-50 victory Thursday night. Teaira McCowan and Victoria Vivians each scored 19 points. "When they've got four guards that are as good as that and can shoot the three, pass it and drive it, it was a tough match for us," Georgia State coach Sharon Baldwin said. "They've got a good basketball team and there's no doubt about it." Mississippi State (2-0) rattled Georgia State from the outset when it jumped out to a 30-11 lead after one quarter. The Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 63-22 by halftime. |
| No. 7 Mississippi State sets shooting record in 56-point win | |
| No. 7 Mississippi State's women enjoyed the best shooting night in school history on Thursday. The Bulldogs shot a school-record 65.6 percent from the field in a 106-50 victory over Georgia State. "I was proud of our kids for coming out, being ready and doing what we do, which is impose our will," said MSU coach Vic Schaefer. MSU (2-0) never shot below 50 percent in any quarter and was 12 of 14 from the field in the second quarter. The Bulldogs closed out the first half on an 11-0 run, making its final eight shots. MSU is back in action Sunday, hosting Southern Miss at 2 p.m. |
| Mississippi State's E.J. Datcher ready to play bigger role | |
| E.J. Datcher came to Southeastern Conference basketball from Harpersville, Alabama, a town with about as many people as Starkville High School has students. The 6-fot-10, 240-pound sophomore center appears to have made the adjustment from Vincent High School to Mississippi State in one season. Based on MSU's two preseason exhibitions and a season-opening victory against Alabama State, Datcher looks poised to make a significant improvement. His next opportunity to showcase his growth will come at 3 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network+) when MSU (1-0) plays host to Florida A&M (0-2) at Humphrey Coliseum. "He was really green when he got here," Howland said. "He was in the smallest, 1A, whatever it is in Alabama. To go from there to the SEC was a big jump. I was really excited about his activity (in the preseason) and his ability to shoot the ball." |
| 3 things to watch for when Mississippi State plays Florida A&M | |
| Ben Howland's third season at Mississippi State opened with a lopsided win last week against Alabama State. But the Bulldogs won't be at full strength heading into their second game Saturday when they host Florida A&M at 3 p.m. Here are three things to watch when Mississippi State takes on Florida A&M. |
| How did college coach buyouts get so big? Blame groupthink and overmatched ADs | |
 | Butch Jones, Jim McElwain and Jeff Long have all had the misfortune of being fired in the last month. The positive of losing your job? All three will likely get millions in liquidated damages, more commonly known as a buyout. Butch Jones, who received a pink slip from Tennessee on Sunday, will receive $200,000 a month for the next 40 months -- $8.25 million in total -- only mitigated if he gets another job. Former Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long, forced out on Wednesday, will make $1 million a year through the remainder of his contract set to expire in June 2022. It's the standard of doing business in college athletics though the buyout figures have climbed to astronomical heights. How did we get to this point? It boils down to some combination of revenue going through the roof especially from television rights, powerful agents wielding tremendous leverage and university leaders giving in to increasingly one-sided contracts amid growing desperation to find a winner. |
| Arkansas staff confident of interim AD Julie Cromer Peoples | |
| For the first time a woman is leading the Arkansas Razorbacks' athletic department. Julie Cromer Peoples was appointed interim athletic director at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville by Chancellor Joe Steinmetz after Jeff Long's firing Wednesday. Long's contract ran through June 30, 2022, and he could receive up to $4.625 million -- all of which is subject to mitigation depending on his future employment -- to be paid by the Razorback Foundation, Arkansas spokesman Mark Rushing said Thursday. Long had been Arkansas' athletic director since January of 2008 and among his hires was Peoples, who has been a senior associate athletic director the last four years for administration and sports programs and senior woman administrator. "Julie's an outstanding colleague," said Scott Varady, executive director and general counsel of the Razorback Foundation. |
| Sources: Arkansas Facing Pressure From Board to Make Gus Malzahn Next Head Coach | |
| Earlier this week Arkansas canned athletic director Jeff Long, and multiple sources tell SI that in the wake of a dismal season for fifth-year coach Bret Bielema things have really gotten messy with Razorbacks' brass. Big-money boosters at Arkansas and members of the university's board of trustees have been pushing for the Razorbacks to go after Auburn coach Gus Malzahn to be their next head coach. Malzahn, an Arkansas native, high school coach and former Razorbacks assistant under Houston Nutt, has rallied the Tigers back into playoff contention this season and is coming off a big win over No. 1 Georgia in Week 11. Long's fate was sealed at last week's Board of Trustees meeting, which Long flew in for but was not allowed to take part in, according to sources. SI has learned, Long got caught up in a power play between some of the Razorbacks' strongest backers. |
| U. of Alabama adapted athletics director earns honor | |
 | The director and co-founder of the University of Alabama's adapted athletics program has earned one of the most prestigious awards bestowed by the school. Brent Hardin will receive the Frederick Moody Blackmon-Sarah McCorkle Moody Outstanding Professor Award on Friday during a ceremony at the President's Mansion. According to a news release, the award is based on a specific accomplishment that is innovative, creative, useful or captures the imagination. Athletes, coaches and administrators in various adapted sports programs nominated Hardin for his contributions to adapted sport, particularly in growing UA's infrastructure and reputation, but also for using sport as a vehicle to support all people with disabilities. Jason Harnett, head coach of the United States Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis team, said Hardin's contributions to the disabled community are "almost immeasurable" and that Hardin and UA are "transforming and creating the template for success" that other universities should follow. |
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